The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-07-29


Then, filled with fearful JOY, he slipped out,
shutting and locking the door behind him,
and crept round to point of vantage In o
little plantation seventy or eighty yards TO
the right Of tho house, whence he could watch
the conflasration that he knew must ensue,
for the flro had taken instant and irremetli-
ablo hold, and also see what the Beers were
doing.
Ten minutes or no afterward that amable
character Hendrix partially regained his
senses. to find himself surrounded by seq OF
fire, In which he persisted miserably, not hav-
ing power to move, and his feeble cries being
totally swallowed up and lost In the fierce
roaring OF the flames, even had there been
anybody there to hear them. And that was
the very appropriate end Of Hendrix and the
magic Of Hendrix. fTt
Down by the flagstaff the old man lay in
his fit, with Bessie tending him and posse Of
Beers standing round, smoking and laughing
or Longing about with an air Of lordly
superiority well worthy Of victors in posses
sion.
"Will none of you help me to take him to
the houser she cried. Surely you have i'll
treated all old man enough" r,i
Nobody stirred, not even Frank Muller,
who was gazing at her tear stained face with
fierce smile playing round tho corners Of his
clean cut mouth, which his beard was
trimmed to leave clear. g4l
at will pass, Miss Bessie" he said; lit will
pass. have often seen such fits. They come
from too much excitement, or too much
drink"- tEB Et1 N4 OF
Suddenly he broke off with an exclama-
ton, and pointed to the house, from the roof
Of which pale curls of blue smoke were rising.
"Who has fired the houseg' he shouted.
"By Heavenl I will shoot the man."
The Beers started round and stared in
establishment, and as they did so the finder
like roof burst into broad sheet Of fame
that grew and gathered breadth and height
with an almost marvellous rapidity. just
then, too, a light breeze sprang up from over
the hill at the rear of the house, as it some
times did at this time Of tho day, and bent
the flames over toward them in ON immense
arch of fire, SO that the fumes and heat and
smoke began to beat upon their faces
"Oh, the house is burning DOWN. cried
Bessie, utterly bewildered by this new mis-
fortune
"Here, you'll" shouted Muller to the gaping
Beers, Ego and see if anything can be saved.
Phew! we must get out of this" and, stoop-
ing down, ho picked up Silas Croft in his
arms and walked off with him, followed by
Bessie, toward the plantation on their left,
which was the same where Jantje had taken
refuge. In the center of this plantation was
a little glade surrounded by young orange
and blue gum trees Here he put the old man
down upon o bed of dead leaves and soft,
springy grass, and then hurried away with
out a word, to the fire, only to find that the
house was utterly unapproachable. In fifteen
minutes, such was the rapidity with which
the flames did their work upon tho mass Of
dry straw and the wooden roof and foorings
beneath, the whole of tho interior Of the
house was a glowing, incandescent pile, and
in half an hour it was completely Quilted,
nothing being left standing but the massive
outer walls of stone, over which dense
column of smoke hung like pail. Mooifon-
tein was blackened ruin; only the stables
and outhouses, which were rooted with gal
vanized iron, being left uninjured.
Frank Muller had not been gone hve
minutes when, to Bessie's joy, her uncle
opened his eyes and sat up.
"What is its what is it!" he said. "Ah!
recollect What is all this smell OF tres
Surely they have not burned the places"
"Yes, uncle" sobbed Bessie, "they have"
ri The old>-7sIaiI groaned att took me ten
years to build, bit by bit, almost stone by
stone, and now they have destroyed it. Wen,
why not: Gods will be done Give me your
arm, love; l want to get to the water. l
feel faint and sick"
She did as no badc her. sobbing bitterly.
Within fifteen yards, Oh the edge of the plan
tation, was little spruit or runnel OF water,
and Of this he drank copiously and bathed his
wounded head and face.
"There, love-" he said, "don't fret; feel
quite myself again. fear made fool OF
myself. haven't learned to bear misfortune
and dishonor as should yet, and, like Job,
felt as though God had forsaken us. But, as
said, his will DO done. What is the next
move, l wonders All! we shall SOON know,
for here comes our friend Frank Muller"
II am glad to see that you have recovered,
uncle" said Muller, politely, land am sorry
to have to tell you that the house is beyond
help Believe me, if 1 knew who fired it
would shoot him. 1t was not my wish or in
tention that the property should be de-
stroyed."
The old man merely bowed his head and
made no answer. His fiery spirit seemed to
be crushed out Of him.
"What is it your pleasure that we nolld
do, sirf' said Bessie at last. "Perhaps, no"
that we are ruined, you will allow us to so 10
Natal, which, suppose, is still an English
countryF
Yes, Miss Bessie, Natal is still English, for
the present; soon it will be Dutch; but am
sorry that cannot let you 60 there now. My
orders are to keep you both prisoners and to
try ur uncle by court martial. The wagon
house." he went ON, quickly, with the two
little rooms on each side of it, has not been
touched by the fire. will have them made
ready for you, and as soon as the heat is less
you can go there's" and, turning to the men
who had followed him, he gave some rapid
orders, which two of them departed to carry
out.
Still the old man made no comment he did
not even seem indignant or surprised; but
poor Bessie was utterly Frustrated and stood
helpless, not knowing what to say to this ter
rible, remorseless man, who stood SO calm
and unmoved there before them.
Frank Muller paused a while to think,
stroking his beard as he did SO, then turned
again and addressed the two remaining men
behind him.
"You will keep guard over the prisoner"
indicating Silas Croft. land suffer none to
communicate with him by word or sign. As
soon as it is ready you will place him in the
little room to the left of the wagon house,
~,~l cr, that ho 10 c,,rr,J,o1 Nth al a wants